Fire door



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Witmaowo Nov. 2 1926 F. A. VAN HATTEN FIRE DOOR FiledDec. lO, 1925 2 Slets-Shec-afl L;

gnuentoz Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES FRANCIS ANTHONY VAN I-IATTEN, F PRESTON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

FIRE

DOOR.

Application filed December 10, 1925i. Serial No. 74,517.

f This invention relates to a rolling door or shutter, which is adaptedto be closed automatically in case of fire.

The primary object of the invention is to support a door of this type,so that it is normally well balanced, and may be easily raised orlowered manually, while at the same time providing means adapted toV beautomatically actuated in case of fire to impart to the roller animpetus which will cause the shutter to drop `immediately and quickly. i

The shutter itself is composed of inter locking steel slats, or formedin any other suitable manner, so that itwill be resistant to fire, andmay be rolled up or unrolled like an ordinary curtain. p The specificconstruction of the invention, its mode of operation and the advantagesof the same will be more fully explained in the following detaileddescription, which is to be read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings illustrating the preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings: y Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section throughthe roller which supports the door or shutter.

Figure 2 is an endelevation thereof. Figure 3 is a front elevation ofthe shutter and the means for supporting and operating the same, partsbeing broken away.

Figure 4 is a central longitudinal section through one end of theroller, showing the parts in position for starting t-he shutterdownwardly.

In its present embodiment, the invention comprises a shutter 5, composedof a series of slats flexibly connected together, and supported by meansof suitable fixtures 6 to a roller 7 about which it is adapted to berolled. The roller 7 -is tubular, and is se' cured at its ends tobearing members 8 and 8, and 1s also secured to an intermediate bearingmember 8b, all of these bearing memf hers being rotatably mounted on ashaft 9, which is journaled in brackets 10 and 11 se# cured to thecasing 12 above the opening which the shutter is adapted to close.Suit-l able ways 13 are provided for guiding the shutter in its descent.

A coiled spring 14 is mounted within the roller 7, one end of the springbeing secured to the bearing member 8", and the other end being securedto a member 15, which is pinned to the shaft 9 near one end thereof.

The spring` 14 is of such length, and is normally so tensioned that whenthe shaft 9 is held stationary and the Vshutter rolled up,`

end thereof adjacent the bracket 10, and this disk is provided withradial holes 17, or with other suitable means for attaching a tool torotate the shaft, so as to adjust the tension of the spring 14 as may benecessary. The disk 16 has a number a peripheral teeth 18 formedthereon, one of which is adapted to be engaged by a lug 19 formed on alatch member 20 for normally holding the shaft 9 to maintain the tensionon the spring 14. The latch member 2O is pivotally mounted at 21 on thebracket 10, and its free end is held up by a lug 22 formed on a lever23,

which is pivotally mounted at 24 on an ear.

25 projecting laterally from the bracket 10. The lever 23 has ahorizontal extension 26, which carries a weight 27 which, when released,is'adapted to drop and swing the lever 23 laterally to release the latchmember 20, permitting the latter to drop and release the shaft 9. Theweight V27, however, is normally held up by a fusible link 28 supportedby a lever 29, which is pivoted at 30 above the shutter, and carries aweight 31 which is sufficient to support the weighted end 27 of thelever 23 until the fuse 2S is melted by lire, or is otherwisedisconnected for the purpose of testing the automatic operatingmechanism of the shutter. A

As soon as the latch member 2O drops and i releases thedisk 16, theshaft 9 is free to rotate, and will be rotated by the tension of thespring 14. This lessens the tension of the spring 14, and releases theroller 7 to a corresponding degree. The weight of the shutter, however,is so great in comparison with the weight of the depending end that itis necessary to give it an impetus to overcome its `inertia andfriction, and start it on its downward movement. For this purpose acollar 32 is secured to the shaft 9 adjacent the inner side of thebracket 10, and this collar is provided with a reduced extension lili 33having a triple thread formed thereon. A starting nut 34 is mounted onthis eXtension, and is yieldingly held against rotation, by a coiledspring 35 'which connects litto the bracket 10. The starting nut Set isformed on its inner face with a clutch member 3G adapted to frictionallyengage the corresponding recess 37' formed in the adjacent end of thebearing member 8. As soon as the shaft 9 is released, therefore, andcommences-to rotate under the influence of the spring` 14, the startingnut 34 quickly advances into engagement with the bearing member 9, anda. sudden impetus is imparted to the latter,and thereby to the roller 7and the shutter carried thereby to quickly start the same on itsdownward movement. rhe rotational movement of the shaft 9 is limited ashereinafter described, and `as soon as it stops, or as soon as theroller 7, under the weight of the descending shutter, begins to rotatefaster than the' shaft 9, the starting nut 34 rides back on the triplethread of the extension 33 and disengages itself from the bearing member8.

The disk 16 has a reduced extension 38 formed with a single thread whichcarries a nut 39. A number of radial pins lO are mounted in the nut ,39,and are adapted to engage lugs 41 projecting from the face of thebracket '10 to prevent the nut 39 from rotating with the shaft 9. Insetting the mechanism for operation, the nut 39 is ordinarily adjustedso that a half turn of the shaft 9 will cause said nut to engage theface of the disk 1G, and will thereby stop the rotation of the shaft. Bythe time the shaft has completed a Ahalf turn, however, the starting nut34 will have engaged the bearing member 8 and started the shutter on itsdownward course. About two feet of the shutter will unroll beforetheshaft 9 comes to a stop. The weight of this, and the lessened tensionof the springlt, due to this partial rotation of the shaft 9, will besull-lcient to insure the completion of the downward movement of theshutter. At the same time, however, the descent of the shutter willpartially wind up the spring 14 and increase its tension sufliciently sothat any person desiring toraise the shutter in order to pass the samemay easily do so.

From the foregoing description, it will be noted that the descent of thedoor lis effected mainly by gravity upon release of the spring 14. Thetension of the latter. however, when released acts upon the shaft 9 andthe starting nut 34C to impart a positive downward impetus to theshutter. The use of a single spring 14- for controlling the position ofthe roller 7 is of especial advantage, since it has such a force'behindit when wound up to balance the shutter, that the sudden release of thesame results in a quick action, and the full force of the large springis 'utilized immediately in starting the closingl operation. rlheshutter, as it descends, "winds up the spring, thereby checking` theshutter toward the end of its movement, so that no door checks 0r brakesof any kind are required. 'lt' is to be noted that there is nocoinplicated arrangement of cams, gears and ratchet wheels necessary tooperate the shutter, but on the contrary it :is operated smoothly andpositively by the simplest arrangement of screws and nuts.

lVhile l Ahave shown and described specifi cally the form of theinvention which is at present preferred, it is obvious that manymodifications may be made in the structure and relative arrangement ofthe various parts thereof without any material departure fromv thesalienty features of the invention as expressed in the claims.

That is claimed is:

l. ln. combination, a shaft mounted for rotation, a roller rotatablymounted on tlie shaft, a shutter nionnted on said roller, a springconnecting the shaft and the roller and tensioned so as to balance theshutter as long as the shaft remains stationary, releasable meansnormally holding the shaft against rotation, a starting member near theend of the roller and having a threaded connection with the shaft, and arelatively small spring holding said starting member yieldingly againstrotation, said shaft, when released, being rotatable under the influenceof the largery spring so as. to advance the starting member intofrictional engagement with the end of the roller and thereby impart animpetus to the roller to unroll the shutter.y

2. In combination, a shaft mounted for rotation, a roller rotatablymounted on the shaft, a shutter mounted on said roller, a springconnecting the shaft and the roller and tensioned so as to balance theshutter as long as the shaft remains stationary, a latch member normallyholding the shaft against rotation, a starting member near the end ofthe roller and having a threaded connection with the shaft, a relativelysmall spring holding said startingmember yieldingly against rotation,said shaft, when the latch is tripped, being rotatable under theinfluence of the larger spring so as to advance the startingmember intofrictional contact with the end of the roller and im part an impetusthereto to unroll the shutter, and means for positively stopping therotation of the shaft shortly after the starting member engages theroller.

3. ln combination, a shaft mounted for rotation, a roller rotatablymounted on the shaft, a' shutter mounted on said roller. means,including a latch and a spring held under tension thereby, to balancethe shutter and hold the shaft stationary, but operable, when the latchis tripped, to rotate the shaft,

nection with the shaft near the end of the roller and operable, when theshaft is rotated, to frietionally engage the end of the roller andimpart an impetus thereto to unroll the shutter, a nut havinga threadedconnection with the shaft and positively held against rotationtherewith, and an abutment against which the nut is drawn by therotation of said shaft to positively stop the latter after it is rotatedthrough a predetermined angle.

l. In combination, a shaft mounted for rotation, a roller rotatablymounted on the shaft, a shutter mounted on said roller, re leasablemeans normally holding the -shaft and the roller stationary, said meansbeing operable, as soon as released, to start the rotation of the shaft,a starting member having a threaded connection with the shaft near theend of the roller and yieldingly held against rotation, when the shaftis rotated, until it frictionally engages the end of the roller andimparts an impetus thereto to unroll the shutter, a nut having athreaded eonnectionwith the shaft and positively held against rotationtherewith, and an abutment against which the nut is drawn by therotation of said shaft to positively stop the latter after apredetermined rotation thereof.

5. In combination, a-` shaft mounted. for rotation, a roller rotatablymounted on the shaft, a shutter mounted on said roller, a springconnecting the shaft and the roller and tensioned so as to balance theshutter as long as the shaft remains stationary, releasable meansnormally holdingv the shaft against rotation, a starting member near theend of the roller and having a threaded connection with the shaft, meansyieldably holding said starting member against rotation, said shaft,when released, being rotatably under the influence of said spring toadvance the starting member into frictional engagement with the end ofthe roller and impart an impetus thereto to unroll the shutter, a nuthaving a threaded connection with the shaft and positively held againstrotation therewith, and an abutment against which the nut is drawn bythe rotation of said shaft to positively stop the latter after apredetermined rotation thereof. y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing` as my own, I have heretoaffixed my signature.

FRANCIS ANTHONY vAN HATTEN.

